Penalty points for injured Marquez

2 September 2013

Marc Marquez admitted his spill in morning warm-up had a detrimental impact on his physical condition at the end of the British MotoGP, even though the Repsol Honda star sensationally pushed Jorge Lorenzo all the way to the line.

Marquez sustained a dislocated shoulder in the fall at Silverstone but against the odds the championship leader went close to sealing a fifth successive MotoGP win on the trot, exchanging places with Lorenzo on the final lap before losing out by only 0.08 seconds.

The 20-year-old later learned he had received two penalty points from Race Direction following his crash in the morning, when he was deemed to have ignored waved yellow flags at the scene of Cal Crutchlow's spill.

Marquez, who now leads team-mate Dani Pedrosa by 30 points at the top of the standings, said: “I'm very happy with how things went today. This morning when my shoulder popped out I thought that my weekend was over, but the doctors were able to put it back in place quickly and that allowed me to be up there at the front, fighting with Jorge.

“I didn't feel much pain, because I received an injection to dull the pain, but I was lacking strength and was feeling tired by the end.

“Despite all this, I was able to battle all the way until the final corner with Jorge, who eventually emerged victorious today,” he added.

“Congratulations to him! For me these 20 points are like a win!”

On the decision by Race Control to impose 'Penalty Points' following this morning's warm-up incident, Marquez said he had not seen the yellow flags.

“I know with a yellow flag you have to slow down and especially with an oil flag, you have to slow down a lot, but I didn't see.”

An official FIM statement said: 'Rider Marc Marquez (93) was riding in a section of the circuit where waved yellow flags were displayed due to an earlier accident. He continued at racing speed and did not slow down and be prepared to stop as required by the regulations.

'His subsequent crash at the same point as the previous accident seriously endangered the rider being attended and the marshals in the accident zone.

'This is an infringement of Article 1.22.2 of the FIM Road Racing World Championship Grand Prix Regulations.

'A Race Direction hearing was held at Silverstone on 1st September 2013 and the decision of the Race Direction is to impose two penalty points on the 2013 season total of the MotoGP rider number 93 Marc Marquez.

'No appeal has been lodged. The decision of the Race Direction is final.'

Race Direction can sanction a rider with between 1 and 10 Penalty Points. Points accumulate during the season with punishments given if 4 points (back of grid start), 7 points (pit lane start) and 10 points (disqualification) are reached.